Door for darkrooms



Dec. 15, 1953 w. R. WINKLER 2,662,253

DOOR FOR DARKROOMS Filed July 10, 1951 INVENTOR. W/LL/AM R. l/VINKLER W W Afzfys.

Patented Dec. 15, 1953 -eNrrsp sTArss new lorries William R. Winkler, Pittsburgh,:Pa. I Application .luly 10,1s51,sr amt. 236,032 j 3 3 Claims. (Cl. z o -ie) This invention relates to a light-tight door for a dark room.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple and easily constructed light-tight door for a dark room.

A further object of this invention is to provide a light-tight door for a dark room which occupies only a small space.

A further object of this invention is to provide a lightig t door which excludes light from the dark room at all times while an operator enters and leaves the dark room.

A further object of this invention is to provide a door for a dark room which can readily be removed to permit the moving of large pieces of equipment into and out of the dark room.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will in part be apparent and will in part be obvious from the following detailed description, and the drawing, in which:

Figure l is a perspective View showingthe outside of a dark room having a door constructed in accordance with an embodiment of this invention';

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in horizontal section of the door shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in section taken along a line III--1II in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the upper part of the door as seen from the inside of the dark room;

Fig. 5 is a cut away View partly in elevation and partly in section showing details of the upper pivot of the door; and

Fig. 6 is a view in section taken along a line VI--VI in Fig. 5.

In the following detailed description, and the drawing, like reference characters indicate like parts.

In Figs. 1 and 2, an enclosed dark room I9 is shown having walls 5 2 and a ceiling 13. A door opening it is provided in one wall of the dark room.

A swinging door is mounted in opening M, which door consists of two door panels I 6 and 51 formed from a single piece of sheet material bent along a line l8 so that the door panels are approximately 90 degrees apart. The door panels are pivoted on pivot bolts [9 and 2!) (see Figs. 3 and 5). in a slide member 2! attached to the door panels at the line 58. The lower end of the bolt extends into a well in the floor 23, and the door panels normally can swing around bolt $9. However, when desired, bolt l9 can be raised so that As shown in Fig. 3, bolt [9 is slidable 2 the door panels can be removed from the door opening to eliminate all obstruction therefrom.

Bolt is attached to the door panels at the upper end of line l8. Bolt 28 is threaded in a lug23' attached to panels 56 and H and extends into an inverted well 2 3 in header 24 above the door panels. 'The' door panels thus swing on the axis'provided by bolts l9 and 28. As shown in Fig. 3, a bearing for the door is provided by slide member 2!, which extends below the door panels'and rests on a washer 25 mounted on bolt l9.

The door panels cooperate with a stationary, upright, light-trapping panel 26 to form a light seal'which excludes light from the dark room while persons pass through the door opening. The panel 25 is "attached to and extends outwardly from a door jarnb 26'. The are through which the door panels can swing is limited by stops 27' and 27' so that one of the panels at all 'timesii's' in position'to cooperate with the stationarypainelZG for forming a. light-tight seal; "As indicated at'28, elastic wiper strips on the free edges of'the door panels engage the stationary panel to form alight seal between the stationary panel andthedoor panels. A lighttightsealbetween the loweredge of the door panels and the floor is provided by a wiper strip 28, and a light-tight seal between the upper edges of the door panels and a horizontal door overhead panel 30 is provided by a wiper strip 3|.

A seal between the door panels and door jamb 32, which is adjacent the axis of swinging, is provided by a flexible membrane 33 attached to door jamb 32 and to the door panels at the connection line l8. Membrane 33 extends the length of the door panels. The lower edge of membrane 33 bears on floor 23, while the upper edge of membrane 33 bears against a plate 34 which is attached to and extends inwardly of the dark room. The upper and lower edges of membrane 33 wipe across the plate and floor respectively to form a light-tight seal at both ends of the membrane.

Operation of the door will be clear from the foregoing detailed description, and the drawing. When a photographer or other person wishes to enter the dark room, he opens the swinging door panels to the position shown at l6al'la in dotdash lines in Fig. 2. Then he enters the space between the door panels and swings the door panels to bring inner door iii against stop 21, whereupon he can enter the dark room. At all times, at least one of the door panels is in such position that one of the wiper strips 28 engages the stationary panel, and a light-tight seal is formed at all times while the door panels are in place.

When it is necessary to carry large equipment into or out of the dark room, the door panels can readily be removed from the door opening. The bolt I9 (Figs. 2 and 3) is raised to release the lower pivot, whereupon the door panels can be moved out of place. If necessary, the upper pivot bolt 20 (Fig. 5) can also be lowered and released from well 24 by unscrewing bolt 29 to lower it from the well.

The dark room door takes up only a limited space yet provides a, light-tight closure for the door opening at all times while persons enter and leave the dark room.

The dark room door illustrated in the drawing and described above is subject to structural modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A light-tight door structure for a dark room having an Opening in an exterior wall thereof which structure comprises a pair of opaque door panels disposed edge to edge at substantially 90 degrees to each other, each of said panels being adapted substantially to close the side opening, means for pivotally supporting said panels for swinging upon an axis parallel to and adjacent the adjacent edges of the door panels and adjacent one side of the door opening, an upright opaque light trapping Wall member of substantially quarter circular cross section extending from the side of the door opening opposite said pivotal supporting means and adapted to engage free side edges of said door panels, means limiting the travel of said door panels on the pivotal supporting means so that at least one of the door panels engages the wall member of quarter-circular cross section at all times, a flexible opaque membrane connecting said door panels at the adjacent edges thereof and the adjacent side of the door opening. the membrane extending the full length of the adjacent edges of the panels, means forming a light-tight seal between the lower end of the membrane and the floor of the dark room, and means forming a light-tight seal between the upper end of the membrane and the .4 top of the door opening to form a light seal between the panels and the side of the door opening adjacent the pivots of the panels.

2. A light-tight door in accordance with claim 1 characterized by the fact that the lower edge of said membrane is in engagement with the floor of the dark room, that a substantially horizontal plate is attached to the wall of the dark room above the upper edge of the membrane and extends into the dark room, and that the upper edge of the membrane engages said plate.

3. An entry compartment for a dark room framing a door opening in an exterior wall of the dark room which comprises a pair of opaque door panels disposed edge to edge at an angle of degrees to each other, pivot means supporting said door panels for swinging about an axis parallel to the apex of said angle and closely spaced from one side of said opening, a quarter round opaque panel attached to the opposite side of said opening, a top closure panel extending from said quarter round panel to the dark room wall above the door panels, flexible members at top, bottom, and side edges of the door panels for engaging the top closure panel, quarter round panel, and floor of the compartment respectively, and a flexible opaque membrane connecting the apex of the angle with the adjacent side of the door opening, said door panels when rotated through less than 90 degrees permitting ingress to and egress from the dark room while the flexible members of said panels alternately engage the quarter round panel.

WILLIAM R. WINKLER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 777,003 Cole Dec. 6, 1904 836,843 Kannel Nov. 27, 1906 975,510 Clymer et a1. Nov. 15, 1910 1,005,535 Gillespie Oct. 10, 1911 1,444,398 Shepherd Feb. 6, 1923 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 14,196 Great Britain June 21, 1906 

